French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. A. Louis, Le Livre et ses lecteurs en Martinique de la fin du Directoire à la Monarchie de Juillet (1799-1848)
History, Politics and Society

Abel A. Louis, Le Livre et ses lecteurs en Martinique de la fin du Directoire à la Monarchie de Juillet (1799-1848)

Paris: L'Harmattan, 2018.

210 p.

EAN 9782343147673

22.50 EUR

Publisher's Description:

Did the inhabitants of Martinique own books between the end of the Directory and the July Monarchy? If so, which ones? Did they read them? Studying books, readers, and reading in Martinique means examining the reception, use, and perception of books in this colony during this pivotal transitional period between the waning Age of Enlightenment and the 19th century, which brought new hopes and perspectives.

Abel Alexis Louis holds a PhD in history, is a member of the AIHP/GEODE research laboratory (EA-929), and an associate member of the CRHIA (EA-1163). His research focuses on the social makeup of free people of color in Martinique between 1660 and 1848, and on the social elites in the French West Indies from the last third of the 18th century to the 1860s. He is the author of a work on Le monde du négoce à Saint-Pierre sous la Monarchie de Juillet (1830-1848). Essai d'histoire sociale et matérielle (2017).

This study situates itself within the history of the book and print culture, applying these disciplines to the specific colonial context of the French Caribbean. By focusing on the period between the French Revolution's aftermath and the abolition of slavery in 1848, the work explores how ideas from the European Enlightenment circulated in Martinique. It examines how books were received, perceived, and utilized by different social groups, including the white colonial elites and free people of color, during a time of profound political and social transition.

Scholars and students of colonial history, Francophone studies, and cultural sociology will find this volume particularly valuable. The book addresses crucial questions about literacy, cultural transfer, and the intellectual life of a slave-holding society on the brink of emancipation. By investigating who owned books and what they read, the author provides essential insights into the intellectual landscape of Martinique, helping readers understand the social dynamics and cultural aspirations of the island's inhabitants during the first half of the nineteenth century.